The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

What ails the veiled women of Haryana
Gender discrimination & rigid customs
by Sheela Nagar

IT is difficult to fully agree or disagree with Robert Louis Stevenson when he says: ‘To travel hopefully is better than to arrive.’ But if the saying ‘what is seen is to be believed’ is right, then the man of Haryana seems to have arrived, whereas his veiled woman is still travelling for a better tomorrow.

For how long has she to travel? Nobody knows. Her pace is very slow. Something is ailing her and a correct diagnosis is not easy.

While touring Haryana, one catches sight of men sitting around leisurely, discussing politics, and enjoying long puffs from a hukka, playing cards, cracking jokes and laughing loudly. Today, the Haryanvi man is proud of his martial race, ancient heritage, medieval struggle, modern progress, rural culture, full granary, green fields, milch buffaloes, agricultural machinery, school and college-going sons and so on. Though, he is not completely free from problems but the list of his proud achievements and successes seems to be very long. At least, he has something to be proud of. But what about the state’s veiled women?

The era of dark days and veils is not yet over for her. She is living in the same old archaic conditions. She can still be seen veiled and working like a robot from early morning till late in the night. She has no time ‘to stand and stare’ yet the list of her daily chores and responsibilities is so long yet she hardly seems to have any achievements to her credit. The long journey of this veiled woman from ancient to modern times has been without any references or milestones. She has been working just like the Karma Yogi of the Gita.

Though the veiled woman started her long journey along with her man in this region thousands of years ago in the hope of better tomorrow, she has been left behind by him. Like the pendulum of a clock, the veiled woman of Haryana, in spite of travelling so much, has reached nowhere. There have been too many hurdles and speed breakers in the path. In her life there have been only walls in front of her and no open doors and windows.

The dice has always been loaded against her. She had to struggle very hard at every step even for her existence. In spite of working so hard constantly for centuries together and contributing to the development of this region and the country, she is still nameless and faceless. Even after 50 years of Independence, she is still ‘the frog in the well’ of her village, whereas her sisters from other states are more visible, better known and more heard about at national and international levels.

Certainly, it is the veil, which has deprived her of gaining name and fame for herself. Her veil has not only vegetated her mentally but also made her anonymous, unapproachable, isolated, and resentful. Due to her seclusion, she could not be a part of the mainstream. She could not share her sorrows and problems with others. It has imprisoned her regionally and individually.

The fact is that ‘veil’ entails much more in Haryana than the purdha system of the many other regions and communities of the country. At least there are certain privileges also attached with the purdah system in these parts, whereas the ‘veiling’ in Haryana seems to have deprived its women of their due rights and have harmed their growth.

Besides the veil, the geographical location and the political conditions of Haryana added to the woes of the woman during ancient and medieval times. Time and again, she had to bear the burnt of the invaders. Her man spent most of his time fighting invaders, gaining perfection in the art of warfare and building up his physique, which made him sturdy, self-willed and uncaring.

She, irrespective of his presence or absence, continued to work in the fields under the shadow of the sword. She did not run away from this region for safety and security. Neither the vagaries of nature nor the ‘man-made calamities’ were able to uproot her from the soil of Haryana. She had to fight a long battle with the poverty of this region. Instead of wandering in search of greener pastures, she made Haryana what it is today, one of the most prosperous states of India. Even then, Haryana is not proud of the daughters of its soil.

Haryana region being close to the Capital, had to bear the onslaught of successive invaders and oppressive rulers. It became economically poor, socially backward and politically neglected for a long time during foreign rule. Its society also became the victim of its own evils, rigid customs and wasteful rituals.

Being deprived of regional security, political stability, economic development, peaceful environment, urban-sophistication, cultural renaissance and her husband’s love and care, the Haryanvi woman became rough and tough. At the same time, lack of rich natural resources, irrigation facilities and scanty rainfall which resulted in low agricultural production and frequent occurrence of famines, made her work more and more for the survival of the members of her family.

Unaware of the reform movements of the 19th century, the Haryanvi woman was unapproachable and veiled just as she was devoid of education middle class culture and comforts. Reformists like Raja Rammohan Roy, Vidhasagar and Pandita Ram Bai could not reach her.

The Arya Samaj Movement, though strong in Haryana did touch her Sir Chhotu Ram, who did so much for the uplift of the peasants left her as neglected. Even Gandhiji’s championship of the rights of women did not change her lot. She remained tied to the same khunta (wooden-peg for animals) without crossing the laxman rekhas (danger-lines) drawn by man for her. After the Independence of the country, the provisions made in the Constitution of India, its successive amendments and enactments for the uplift of women have not been able to bring her out of the veil. Even the mass media has left her untouched and ignored.

Since patriarchal society has been the primary social structure in the long history of mankind, gender discrimination and inequality still exist in most modern societies. Indian society is well known for oppressing women. Therefore, it is rightly said, “to be a woman is a curse and to be an Indian woman is a double curse”.

For an Indian woman, born in Haryana, this curse seems to be increasing manifold and making her life a sum total of negation, deprivation and exploitation. Her sufferings cannot be expressed in words or figures or proved on the basis of surveys, statistical data and scientific studies.

Gender-discrimination and equality can only be felt intensely by those veiled women, who are born, live, work-hard, suffer and die unsung on the soil of Haryana. It is not an exaggerated fact but the hard reality.

Since the Vedic times the increasing desires and prayers to have more and more sons, and in modern times, with the use of science and technology the killing of female foetus in the womb itself, has resulted in the alarming difference of male-female ratio (1000:865) in Haryana, which is perhaps the highest in the country. If born, the life of a girl-child is full of neglect and denials, over-burdened with work and responsibilities.

She learns to accept herself as unwanted and uncared which gets her image deformed even in her own eyes. She is kept socially in tight and insulted enclosures. No social space is given to either for her personality development. The simple analysis of her routine daily work can provide an invaluable insight into what makes her one of the most ‘school-drop-outs’ in India. She is deprived of the consciousness necessary for human development.

It is well-known fact that be it domestic chores, rearing of the children, taking care of the aged and the guests, looking after the animals, fetching water, collecting fuel or working in the fields, the woman of Haryana works more than her counterparts elsewhere and even the man of Haryana. In agriculture, she has to be hard jobs like sowing, hoeing, transplanting, weeding, harvesting, cleaning and storing the grains and seeds. All the more cumbersome, she has to work in veiled conditions. She lacks resources at her disposal for self-development. She has no access to cash money and the power to spend it for her personal needs and household requirements.

The decision-making and money-power being in the hand of the male members making them more chauvinistic and idle. Therefore, there is little improvement in her living and working conditions. Households in Haryana are still devoid of essential modern gadgets; whereas much money is being spent for buy scooters motorcycles and cars to the men. In spite of being one of the most prosperous states of India, the living and household conditions in rural Haryana are still very poor. Paradoxically, in spite of contributing richly to the household and family income, the veiled woman is still considered an economic burden and a drain on family resources. Strange are the ways of the community in Haryana.

Truly speaking, the Green Revolution as well as the mechanised farming in Haryana have a benefited man more than it has the veiled women. He now has more ready-cash and leisure at his disposal. He has been relieved of that seasonal hard physical labour also, of ploughing and sowing the fields with bullocks. Now he leaves more work and responsibilities of agricultural operations on her, she remains a busy bee and works throughout the year.

Instead of doing productive work in the spare time; attends political rallies, enjoys the hospitality of his in-laws for days together, participates in panchayats, involves himself in court-cases, visits cities just to kill the time, watches the Saang in nearby villages, reds newspapers at tea-stalls, listens to raganis from Radio Station Rohtak, or just views T.V. programmes sitting comfortably. He enjoys his life at the cost of the woman and still rebukes her of being lazy and inefficient. She is snubbed and beaten.

Unbelievable as it may be, but the fact is that the husband-wife relationship in Haryana lacks intimacy and cordiality. Being based more on rural ethics than mutual understanding; it is somewhat rustic, prickly and rough. It does not reflect even the tenderness and sensitivity of Rajasthan and caring and closeness of Punjab. It is neither sweet nor sour, it is rather bitter. Her life is a saga of a bored and neglected wife and his that of village ‘Romeo’ of course, without ‘Juliat’. She is remotely controlled by him and suspiciously closely watched by his relatives. Her life rotates between his dos and don’ts.

The ill treatment and the insults lashed out at her by him makes her resentful. Consequently, sometimes the husband-wife relationship turns sour making them contemptuous and explosive towards each other. No doubt, in such a situation, the wife is at the receiving end. At the slightest pretext, the husband does not hesitate to or abuse or even beat her up. Strangely enough, he is still ‘syanoji’ (the wise-man) for her and she is his “the mad-idiot-woman”. Interestingly, a wife-caring and work-sharing husband is not appreciated in rural Haryana. Such a man contemptuously nicknamed Mahala and is made a butt of jokes.

In spite of the social changes brought in Indian society after Independence and the progress made by after it becoming a separate state in 1966; the social status of the veiled woman of Haryana has not undergone any substantial change, since the days of Manusmriti. She is still the ‘Draupadi’ of Mahabharata who can be disgraced and humiliated public ally. She is still treated as a “Shoe” that can be discarded after use. She is still called “unwanted”. She is still made to live in the conventional ‘iron-cage’ and follows rituals and rigid customs. She is still the victim of the ‘Hukka culture’ that makes the man ‘giant’ and the women a ‘pygmy’.

Though the veiled woman of Haryana has been subjected to innumerable excesses and atrocities, the time has come when she should forget her past and march confidently and assertively towards her bright future in the 21st century.

Thomas Jefferson, President of the USA, has once said: ‘I like the dream of future better, than the history of the past.’

With the fast-spreading modernisation, urbanisation and industrialisation in Haryana, unprecedented opportunities are opening for her. In order to breathe freely, she should come out of the ‘cocoon’ of her veil. She must arise and move fast to catch up with her sisters in other parts of the world. As information technology is breaking the geographical barriers and is building new link network, she can occupy the chairs of ‘money and power’ by the virtue of her skills, expertise and experience in agriculture, animal husbandry, handicraft and folk arts.

She has to liberate herself from male domination. She need not fight a gender-war with her man. She must convince him and tell him firmly that the time has come to change his attitude and behaviour towards her. He should value her work and responsibilities. At the same time, in order to seek entry into the village power-structure, she should participate actively and effectively as a voter as well as an elected member in the new Panchayati Raj institution through the 73rd constitutional Amendment Act, which provides her more opportunities for her political, social, cultural and intellectual development.

Her social invisibility and the non-recognition of her contributions can be removed to a great extent, if she plays her role actively and effectively at the grass-root level in the democratic political process of the country. She has to fight for her rights while performing her duties. In spite of all the constraints, her active political participation at present will prove to be the most effective instrument for removing her inequality, invisibility and powerlessness. Consequently, the veiled women of Haryana, can cure many of her ailments herself, if she wants to and is determined enough to have a better and brighter tomorrow.

The writer is Professor of History (Museum), CCS Haryana Agriculture University, Hisar.

Migration of Muslim families to PoK
by P. C. Dogra

THERE have been some reports in the media regarding the exfilteration of some Muslim families from the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

These areas are overwhelmingly inhabited by Pahari Muslims/Gujjars. They have little in common with Valley Kashmiris. They are culturally distinct and speak a different language, i.e. Urdu or Punjabi. They are a very poor community. There are no viable land holdings; no small-scale or even agro-based cottage industry.

Their only means of livelihood are the very meagre land holdings, some rearing goats/sheep or petty jobs with Army units. Over the years, there has been no proper development in these border areas. These people are totally dependent on the local Army units for their subsistence. The Army units hire them for logistic support.

The social service sector of the State government is totally non-existent. Doctors are hardly available—there are no functional dispensaries and no electricity. Roads and bridges are in a shocking state of disrepair. Civil officials hardly visit them.

In accordance with its strategy, the ISI of Pakistan has, since the start of militancy, been inciting the people living on this side of the Line of Control to exfilterate to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The sole aim is of setting up the refugee camps in PoK for the “hapless people” from “India-held Kashmir” who have fled to escape the “atrocities” allegedly perpetrated on them by the Indian security forces.

The ISI organises the visit of the foreign dignitaries to these camps before whom these inmates narrate horror stories about the “torture and molestation of their women folk at the hands of the Indian security forces” and thus defame India. It has been going on since 1989.

For the last few years, a few anti-national people of these border districts have been hired by the ISI to work as guides for infiltrating jehadis. The ISI encourages these guides to bring their families to PoK.

This move has two objectives; firstly, it makes the guides totally committed to the cause of the ISI, and secondly, it makes the infiltration rather smooth with no risk of the families of these guides being caught in the cross-fire between the Indian security forces and the infiltrates/ Pak army.

I must state that a very large majority of the people are nationalists and proud to be Indian. They do not subscribe to the secessionist cause at all.

I would like to narrate one incident. Mr. Girish Chander Saxena, the present Governor of Jammu and Kashsmir, was also the Governor then. He was to visit Poonch. As IG, BSF, Jammu, I accompanied him.

He met some respectable Sikhs and Muslims of the area in the local rest house. They came out with their grievances. They were unanimous in asserting that all development funds were diverted to the Kashmir valley and that no development was taking place in Poonch.

One significant remark which they made attracted my attention. They said: “We are holding the flag of India high. We are totally with India. What reward we are getting? We are neglected. Whereas all the resources of the government are being consumed in Kashmir, even though there is a war cry of secessionism there”.

It is a fact that Kashmir is a cynosure of all eyes in Delhi as well as in J&K.

There are also excellent tourist spots on the Pir-Panjal ranges in Rajouri and Poonch. There is breath-taking scenic beauty, semi-frozen crystal-clear lakes where trekking expeditions can be organised. They would prove to be a great attraction for foreign and Indian tourists.

One senior officer had made a documentary on these trekking routes, but there were no takers. As for as tourist industry is concerned, its attention is totally focussed on the Kashmir valley. It is the paradise on earth no doubt, but there is no harm in exploring other tourist attractions.

Let’s now consider the security implications of such migration. Pakistan is proceeding steadily as per its strategy chalked out way back in the sixties first as Operation Gibraltar executed by President Ayub Khan and there after Operation Topaz of President Zia-ul-Haq which still continues.

In 1965, I was a young emergency commissioned infantry officer and was deployed as a Company Commander in Nowshara sector. While patrolling with my Company in Pir Padesar gap, I captured one infiltrator who later turned out to be Capt Gulam Hussain of Azad Kashmir Battalion. He was carrying a transistor for communication and a Koran to incite the Muslims of the Valley to rise in revolt in the name of Islam. He did not succeed in his mission.

During interrogation, he appeared totally crestfallen and upset. He wanted to cross back to PoK at the earliest as he could not make the people of Poonch rise in revolt in the name of religion. At that time also the Razakars after crossing the LoC would head for Pir Panjal ranges via Kalakote and Budhal.

I must add here that a Muslim gave the first information about the infiltration of Razakars to the nearest Army formation in Poonch. Operation Gibraltar failed because the people of J&K were totally with India.

Since 1989, Pakistan has been very seriously trying to activate Rajouri and Poonch areas along with the Kashmir valley. It has been reasonably successful in the Kashmir valley in creating secessionist fervour but not so in Rajouri and Poonch because of the ethnic and cultural differences between the people residing in the valley and those of Rajouri and Poonch.

The Pakistani strategy has always been to link the Muslim majority areas of Rajouri and Poonch from Jammu with the Kashmir valley i.e. Poonch-Pir Panjal range — Batote-Doda-Kishtwar-Synthan pass — on to the Kashmir valley. Its more or less as per the Dixon plan. We must not allow Pakistan to succeed.

I have few specific suggestions that may contribute towards improving the situation. About 10 to 15 km belt all along the LoC should be handed over to the Army for overseeing the development works.

The Government of India should directly fund these development projects and adequate amount of money should be made available. The modalities for this can be worked out. General Officers Commanding 15 or 16 Corps, who are already designated as Advisors to the state government, could receive and further distribute these funds to their divisional commanders. Corps and Divisional Headquarters could create development wings to properly handle these projects.

Secondly, all the doctors, teachers, revenue officers and other field-level officers whose duties directly affect the living conditions of the people in these areas should be put on deputation to the Army. If deputation is not possible, they should, at least, be made accountable to the Army in this 10 or 15 km belt.

It will also be of great help to the Army in creating a required amount of goodwill in the people living in close vicinity of the Army. People will look up to the Army for the redressal of their grievances.

Development works will be taken up with great gusto. Local officials will have the fear of God and they will perform their duties with alacrity. I am sure that this will bring about a sea change in the environment of the border belt.

People will become friendly to the Army and that will help in the collection of intelligence about the jehadis and the Pakistan Army.

These are the immediate steps required to stem the tide of migration and turn the situation in our favour. Of course, Deputy Commissioners of the area will have to associated formally while formulating all such development projects.

The writer, a former D.G., Police, Punjab, has been IG/BSF Jammu, IG/BSF Srinagar and Additional Director General/BSF J&K.

Chattisinghpura revisited
by Pamela Bhagat

AS you take the steep gradient up from the temple town of Mattan, it is hostile topography till you reach Rabirsinghpora. After that, the area seems like any picturesque village in Punjab, with men sowing paddy with muted Gurbani, relayed from the local Gurdwara, playing in the background. The chatter of women dispensing tea from aluminium samovars — the abiding symbol of Kashmir — breaks this silence once in a while, providing a unique blend of the cultures of Punjab and Kashmir.

This blend does not come as a surprise when one keeps in mind the fact that according to the 1981 census, Sikhs formed 2.23 per cent of the population of Jammu and Kashmir. The highest percentage of Sikhs is settled in towns of the Jammu province.

Of the 40,000 Sikhs who live in 105 villages across the state, 1,200 live in Chattisinghpura, forming the predominant community in this small town. These Sikhs maintain that they came to the region during Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s time.

Over the years, they have managed to become as much Kashmiri as they are Punjabi. They dress like Kashmiris and also speak the local language. Even their staple diet is rice and not wheat (as it is in Punjab).

This peace and quiet was, however, disturbed six months ago when there was a brutal massacre of Sikhs in this small town. Thirtysix Sikhs were gunned down, 34 of whom died on the spot, one succumbed to his injuries in the hospital and another one is still recovering from gun shot wounds.

Even today, tears flow easily among the community in Chattisinghpura. Jeet Kaur, a tall imposing woman of 60, now supports a family of seven women after losing her husband, two sons and two teenaged grandsons in the massacre. Daljeet Singh, whose elder son died on the spot and whose younger son Sukhbir, married only three months before the massacre, succumbed to injuries later, is now all alone. Singh has sent his daughter-in-law to her parents with the dowry she had brought and half the ex-gratia payment that he was given.

Since the massacre, various people from across the country have visited these families. They have also given ex-gratia payments of Rs 1 lakh each by the state government and jobs have been provided in the state departments for one member from each affected family.

But despite all this help, the people of Chattisinghpura are in need of a lot more. This small town is totally cut off, as it has no access to telephones, no public transport and no post office. Chattisinghpura also lacks basic facilities like a health care centre, water pipelines and sewage system.

The lone chemist in Chattisinghpura was shot dead during the massacre so now the only access to medicines for the people is in the hospital in Anantnag which is an hour away. According to an officer in charge of security in the region, people are scared even now because they are still getting threatening letters. The Sikhs in the small town continue to spend their nights in huge groups and so strong is the feeling of terror that eight families who were not even affected by the massacre decided to migrate to the plains.

Others too want to leave because they feel threatened every day — in the fields, in their homes and also when they go on duty away from home. The residents of Chattisinghpura also maintain that they will leave if the town is not declared a high security zone for a period of one year. This, according to them, would mean that they will be treated as migrants and paid allowances, the communication network will be improved and the Army withdrawn.

And till the government decides to act, the Sikhs of Chattisinghpura will continue to live in terror. Obviously this situation demands an immediate action and more so because this was the first time that the Sikh community was targeted in such a manner. — WFS

The lap-top General
Harihar Swarup

HE is known as a General without legs; a General with a lap-top; a strategic thinker, an army genius who commanded an armoured division and, top of all, most humane army man, loved and virtually worshipped by his men and officers. Lt-Gen Pankaj Joshi, appointed recently General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Command headquartered in Lucknow, is a military wonder whom few know outside the cloistered hearth of men in arms. His name should go into the world record books: no country in the world has, perhaps, produced such a military prodigy.

Thirty-five years ago, General Joshi was an young Captain and posted in Sikkim. The years following the 1962 war with China were traumatic and the nation was reeling under the military setback. Sensitive areas in Sikkim were heavily mined and Captain Joshi was entrusted with the task of clearing the mines. It was difficult to keep the records of mines laid down but periodically sweeping operation was undertaken and new ones planted. In one of such exercise, a mine burst and both his legs were blown up. The then Captain, who has now risen the rank of Lt-General, has been lived on artificial legs and participating in rigorous military exercises. So briskly does he walk that nobody can make out that his feet are synthetic. When the present Army Chief retires, General Joshi will be second-most senior officer for the top slot with a distinguished record of service.

A desert warfare specialist, some describe him as Indian version of General Rommel, who acquired the sobriquet of the “Desert Fox”. General Joshi is known for his courage and determination and his example is often cited to boost the morale of officers and jawans. He replaces his artificial legs periodically as the old ones wear out. While on an inspection tour of desert posts, the new pair of limbs were not fitting properly and causing uneasiness. The VIP accompanying him was the Defence Minister. The General, say his officers, went around the posts for four hours in the blazing heat with mercury touching 50° centigrade and did not show any sign of pain even though the blood was oozing out of his legs and red patches could be seen on his uniform.

Another instance quoted by those who worked closely with him was a journey by helicopter. The engine began stalling off and on as the machine was half way to its destination and there was panic on board but General Joshi maintained his poise, sat with the pilots, urging them not to loose nerves and concentrate on flying. The chopper later landed safely. He commanded an armoured division and was GOC of the 12th Corps with headquarters at Jodhpur. So fit is the General that despite his disability, he participated in an Himalayan car rally and still flies a micro light aircraft, plays golf and takes part in cycle polo.

General Joshi is a great source of inspiration to officers and jawans who have become disabled in action. He makes it a point to personally visit them; cites his own example to cheer them and boost their sagging morale. He also ensures regular supply of artificial limbs to them. He is also actively associated with an artificial limb production centre, near Pune, and ensures that the invalid men of armed forces get regular supply of limbs and be trained in using them. He has been regularly sending donations to the centre. The General himself gets his artificial legs from an Indian firm. His wife is also devoted to the cause of rehabilitation of disabled persons in the Army and other walks of life and runs a school for rehabilitation.

Known as a “strategic thinker”, the General has been associated with almost all expert bodies entrusted with the task of formulating policy, planning and strategy. He worked along with the late General Sundarji on evolution of national security doctrine and, at that time, he held the rank of Brigadier. Papers on defence matters prepared by him and the presentations given by him are rated highly by experts.

A unique aspect of his personality is that he does all his work by himself and neither requires the services of a P.A. or stenographer. A computer expert, he has a lap-top as his constant companion on which he produces papers on defence study. He has, therefore, come to be known as ‘lap-top General’. His subordinates virtually adore him and say there is no General in the Army so informal with his men and officers; has no airs about his rank and never throws his weight around. He is a General who “commands by consensus”, motivates and inspires his men, said a Brigadier who worked with him closely at the College of Combat at Mhow, near Indore. General Joshi was the college Commandant before he was moved to Lucknow.

Limits of imagination
by Abu Abraham

THERE’s one thing I must say for Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister, he’s always cheerful. Take any photograph of him — he looks like your jolly uncle or brother-in-law. The future of the world does not worry him. “Smile and the world will take care of itself” seems to be his motto.

Occasionally, his face acquires an aura of heroism, even boastfulness, as when he was saying the other day that India is on the threshold of becoming an Inter-continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) power. Anyday, he says, he can present us with IRBM (Intermediate Range) or an ICBM, say your wish, says our genie, and you’ll have it. Such is the glory that’s awaiting this nation.

These things are not for the feeble-minded, he warns; it would require a strong, highly willed nation for this to succeed. I don’t know about the wretched public, but there are any number of strong highly willed experts to go with him. Most of them are produced by the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis, New Delhi. Some of their analysts prompt me to say that they have sat so long on the arms machine the iron has got into their souls. They live in a self-perpetuating world of their own. They go from deterrence to deterrence, from the credible to the incredible. They provide the Prime Minister with suitable masks for all occasions - the peace loving, the long suffering face for Washington, the tough uncompromising one for Islamabad. But I want to ask the Prime Minister if it’s safe for him and the rest of our country to allow his scientific adviser to strut around flaunting his scientific capacities to the world in a manner that is sure to embarrass and compromise even the defence and foreign ministers.

As we are about to sign the CTBT (or so it seems) is this the occasion to prod the government into a further escalation in the sub-continental arms race?

An ICBM has a minimum range of 5,500 km, and so far only the USA, Russia, China, France and Britain have this capacity. If the Olympics had provided for medals in the arms race, we could have at least aimed at a bronze!

Amartya Sen, in his Dorothy Hodgkin Lecture at the recent Pugwash Conference in Cambridge referred to the child-like wonder of Dr Abdul Kalam at the time of the Pokhran explosions in May, 1998: “I heard the earth thundering below our feet and rising ahead of us in terror. It was a beautiful sight”. Dr Sen observed: “It is rather remarkable that the admiration for sheer power should be so strong in the reactions of even so kind-hearted a person, but perhaps the force of nationalism played a role here, along with the general fascination that powerful weapons seems to generate. The intensity of Kalam’s nationalism may well be concealed by the mildness of his manners, but it was evident enough in his statements after the blasts (“for 2,500 years India had never invaded anybody”), no less than his joy at India’s achievement (“a triumph of Indian science and technology”).

There was in Dr Sen’s lecture a sharp analysis of the dichotomy in India’s nuclear policy. He said: “One of the interesting sidelights that emerge from a scrutiny of Indian official perceptions is the extent to which the government under-estimates India’s importance as a major country a democratic polity, a rich multi-religious civilisation, with a well-established tradition in science and technology (including the cutting edge of information technology), and with a fast-growing economy that could grow, with a little effort, even faster. The over-estimation of the persuasive power of the bomb goes with an under-estimation of the political, cultural, scientific and economic strengths of the country.

Dr Sen went on to point out that the nuclear adventure of India and Pakistan cannot be justified on the ground of the unjustness of the world order, “since the people whose lives are made insecure as a result of these adventures are primarily the residents of the sub-continent themselves. Resenting the obtuseness of others is not a good ground for shooting oneself in the foot”.

There is scope in the present context for Amartya Sen to lead like-minded intellectuals and other citizens in an anti-nuclear campaign. He can do what Bertrand Russell did in Britain — to bring sanity into the nuclear debate.

Delhi durbar
Placating Mamata, Mahajan style

THE Trinamool Congress leader and Railway Minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee, has been playing truant eversince she started smelling power in West Bengal. The leader of the masses wants to ensure that the Centre does nothing that could possibly upset her applecart in Calcutta.

The Centre’s decision to hike prices of petroleum products in tune with international prices had upset the Trinamool Congress leaders and Ms Banerjee and her colleague Ajit Panja had promptly tendered their resignations. In the backdrop of this development, the Cabinet spokesperson and Union Minister, Mr Pramod Mahajan had to make an announcement on the government making it mandatory for use of jute as a packaging material for foodgrains.

When asked if the government had taken the decision to please Ms Banerjee, Mr Mahajan retorted: “I would be very happy if you report this”. The fact was, however, that all the MPs from West Bengal had given a representation on the jute order. However, if the decision could assuage the feelings of Ms Banerjee, then why not give her the credit!

Fortuitous future

There is more to Mr Pranab Mukherjee being sent to West Bengal to revive Congress fortunes than his organisational abilities or grasp of political issues. Congress leaders say Mr Mukherjee’s stars forecast his being the Chief Minister in the near future. Whether this happens on the basis of Congress performance or post-poll political realignments remains to be seen. Is Mamata Banerjee listening?

Virtual reality

US policy makers seem to be pretty certain that any difference to its role of global supercop would come about not as a result of rise of any other power but due to American people’s tendency to be obsessed with themselves.

“The USA will be the global leader in the foreseeable future,’’ asserted Mr Zbigniew Brzezinski, former US National Security Adviser at an international conference recently. Any possible change in the US role in different parts of the world would happen mainly due to reluctance of Americans to get involved elsewhere, he said. Mr Brzezinski regretted that the American society is increasingly becoming entertainment-oriented and obsessed with virtual reality. “This could lead to isolationist tendencies,” he said, adding, “We have a problem and it is best to admit and tackle it.”

Photographers’ delight

The Tata Sons chairman, Mr Ratan Tata, has always been a photographers’ delight, specially due to his suave manner and aristocratic style. And it was no different this time when he held an informal get-together with some media persons to announce his plans to reassociate his company with Air India, the airlines which his legendary predecessor J.R.D. Tata once owned as the pride of India.

Before the start of the informal chat, Mr Tata gave an almost 20-minute sitting just for the photographers who kept shuttering till they were out of films, but would not give up. Quick was the change and they were back on the job asking Mr Tata to pose in different ways. One photographer even went to the extent of saying that once in a while he should hold a get-together just for the cameramen and Mr Tata in his impressive style said he would ensure that sometime in the future.

Finally the Tata officials present at the meeting had to tell the shuttermen to give way to the newsmen for that was important. However, the cameramen were not ready to give up and said they would continue with their job till the informal meeting was on. And sure they went on clicking Mr Ratan Tata in different poses without bothering that their shutters were in fact drowning the Tata Sons chairman’s voice forcing a scribe to comment that it would definitely be a better idea for Mr Tata to hold a separate session for the cameramen.

Not attractive enough

What is it that India has and China does not? Red-tapism, say foreign guests. Some of them, who have been visiting India since the fifties say the method of working in government offices has not changed even though the world has changed as have the means of communication. The ways are pretty much the same as existed in British India, the guests complain. Advocating further loosening up of controls, foreign experts say the sole reason why China was getting almost three times more foreign investment than India was that it is considered a better investment opportunity.

Silent social worker

Ms Purnima Shanta Bhattacharya, wife of a retired Army Brigadier, is a silent social worker who believes in doing her bit for the armed forces. Her latest attempt is to hold an exhibition in the capital next week for the cause of Jammu and Kashmir Rifles and the Ladakh Scouts.

Ms Bhattacharya says both these Infantry Regiments of the Indian Army were decorated with the maximum number of gallantry awards during the Kargil war, including two Param Veer Chakras, and therefore a major part of the proceeds from the sale of her paintings would be donated towards the education of the children of our jawans who laid down their lives for the nation.

Contributed by T.V. Lakshminarayan, Girija Shankar Kaura, Prashant Sood and P.N. Andley)